Porsche 959 prototype heading for auction

Posted 12th January, 2013 in Porsche | Leave a comment

Here’s one for the Jerry Seinfelds of this world. The Porsche 959 is rarer than a vegan who doesn’t tell* you that they’re a vegan, so this prototype version is an absolute must for any collector.

One of just only four surviving cars – two of them runners, this 1986 vehicle, which was used to develop and test the chassis and ABS braking system, is based on a 930 Turbo platform and sits on pre-production lightweight wheels wrapped in Dunlops tyres, which made way for Bridgestone RE71s on the finished article.

As almost all of the 29 prototypes were destroyed by Porsche, and with the Stuttgart giant no longer releasing any prototype automobiles to the public, this is something extremely special.

Manufactured between 1986 and 1989, firstly as a Group B rally car and later as a street legal production car to meet FIA homologation regulations, the 959 uses a 2.85-litre twin-turbocharged six-cylinder boxer engine developing 331 kW (444 hp). On the road it cracks 100 km/h in a mere 3.7 seconds and can reach 317 km/h (197 mph).